High school students from Sendai Daisan High School and volunteer students from Kashima High School in Ibaraki Prefecture have been leading a community support initiative for Malawi. Their activities began with the marketing and actual sales of Malawian coffee, gaining hands-on experience in selling and promoting the product.
This project has been introduced as an educational activity in which high school students learn about global social issues through coffee sales.
Today, we would like to introduce one of the initiatives that emerged from this movement — a project to support the construction of wells in Malawi — and kindly ask for your support.
※Donation page: here
The Beginning of the Project
The students first began their activities by learning about coffee produced in Malawi, Africa, through guidance from the staff of NPO Seibo Japan. They researched the coffee and its background.
They studied not only the taste and origin of the coffee, but also the daily lives of people in the producing communities and the challenges faced by the region.
As they continued learning, the students discovered an important reality.
In many areas of Malawi, there are not enough wells to provide access to safe drinking water.
While the students learned about many different aspects of life in Malawi, they came to clearly understand the logical connection between stable access to clean water and the ability to provide safe and hygienic school meals. This realization inspired them to transform their learning into concrete action.
Turning Learning into Action
Based on what they had learned, the students decided to take initiative and sell coffee themselves.
Their activities included:
① Researching the story behind the product
② Planning how to sell the coffee
③ Promoting the project through posters and social media
④ Selling coffee at events
Through these experiences, the students gained practical learning in business, communication, and understanding global social challenges.
As they continued their activities, the students began asking themselves:
“Is there a way for our activities to improve the lives of people in Malawi?”
The Challenge of Supporting Well Construction
Motivated by this question, the students decided to take the next step. Using their experience from coffee sales, they began working to raise funds to support the construction of wells in Malawi.
This initiative is not simply a fundraising effort.
For the students, it is a hands-on learning experience where they:
-Understand real social challenges
-Think about possible solutions
-Communicate their ideas to others
-Work together with supporters to create change
These are essential skills for participating in society.
Please Support the Students’ Challenge
Currently, the students are raising funds to help build a well in Malawi.
This project provides an opportunity for high school students to engage with global challenges and take meaningful action.
We warmly invite you to support their challenge and help bring safe water to communities in Malawi.
About Chisomo CBCC
In Malawi, there are community-based childcare centers known as CBCCs (Community-Based Childcare Centers). These centers are voluntarily run by local community members to support young children in their area.
At these CBCCs, local mothers come together, contributing their time and effort to build a better future for their children. Under the guidance of Seibo, they prepare and provide daily meals every morning. School feeding programs play a crucial role—not only do they improve children’s nutrition, but they also encourage school attendance, benefiting both children and their families.
However, smaller CBCCs often face significant challenges. Due to limited local resources, it is difficult for communities to maintain adequate facilities. In some cases, access to safe water and proper classroom environments is insufficient.
Chisomo CBCC, in particular, is located in a mountainous area of Blantyre in southern Malawi, surrounded by forest. Because of its remote location, there is limited access not only to government support but also to interaction with neighboring communities and villages.
The water situation is especially critical. The original well that was dug has already dried up, and because it was shallow, it becomes unusable during the dry season. As a result, people at Chisomo CBCC must walk approximately 40 minutes to collect water.
Since this water is not always hygienic, it directly affects the sanitation conditions of school meals, posing additional risks to the children’s health.
※Donation page: here!
